Canadians opt for extreme form of ice skating

MONTREAL (Reuters) - Not content to simply play hockey on
frozen ponds or waltz along canals that have turned to ice,
some Canadians prefer to amuse themselves with a more extreme
form of outdoor skating.

In Quebec City, skaters will hurtle through the city's
historic quarter on a 535-metre (1,755-ft) track of ice that
has steep drops and sharp turns resembling a bobsleigh run. For
added fun, the track includes a series of washboard bumps.

Some 100 racers, wearing protective hockey gear, will
compete over Friday and Saturday, with the C$5,000 prize going
to the winner of a series of heats.

The third annual competition, sponsored by an energy drink
company, comes as Quebec City, capital of the mainly
French-speaking province of 7.5 million, celebrates its 400th
anniversary.

Television footage of media personalities taking a crack at
speeding down a short length of the steep track showed them
mainly sprawling face forward or falling flat on their
backsides.